It was more difficult to gain admission to the Law School’s incoming class this year than ever before, and the Class of 2013 is the most diverse on record, according to Admissions Office data.

Due in part to record application volume, the school offered admission to the lowest percentage of applicants in its history. In addition, about 29 percent of the Class of 2013 self-identified as ethnic minorities, up from a then-record 27 percent the previous year.

“The most selective admission process in the history of the Law School produced the most diverse class in this history of the Law School,” said Jason Wu Trujillo ’01, the senior assistant dean for admissions. “That represents a lot of hard work by the admissions and financial aid team and reflects our increased emphasis on admissions and recruiting rather than just admissions.”

The class members also meet the lofty academic standards set by their predecessors in the Class of 2012: Incoming first-year students have a median undergraduate GPA of 3.85 and a median LSAT score of 170.

About 65 percent of the class obtained work experience prior to law school, in jobs ranging from paralegal work to investigative journalism, and those students averaged about two years in the work force before entering law school.

The Class of 2013 is also well-traveled. Incoming students speak a variety of languages and have worked in countries ranging from the United Kingdom to Uganda.

Benita Williams graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was most recently stationed in Norfolk, Va.

Trujillo credited alumni outreach as a major factor in attracting exceptional applicants to the Law School.

“The success in recruiting this class is due in no small part to the willingness of our alumni to not just talk to, but really engage with, our admitted students,” Trujillo said. “Jennifer Sulzberger ’87 with the Law School Foundation did a tremendous job in matching admitted students with alumni via the Alumni Contact Program. I can’t tell you how many admitted students say that their decision to come to Virginia was sealed after speaking to an alumnus or alumna.”

Members of the Class of 2013 come from 42 states and the District of Columbia, as well as seven foreign countries.